WOOSTER- Jo Anne (Laughlin) Beatty, 76, passed away peacefully on June 29, 2026 at Ohio’s Hospice Lifecare in Wooster.
Jo Anne was born on September 2, 1949 in Mt. Vernon to the late Darrell and Ruth (Weil) Laughlin. She graduated from East Knox High School in 1967, and started her career in Columbus before returning to Mt. Vernon to serve 46 years as a nurses’ aide, phlebotomist, then laboratory technician at Mercy and Knox Community Hospitals. She loved her work and advocated for putting patient care first.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her loving husband, Jerry Neil Beatty, whom she married June 12, 1971. She and Jerry enjoyed the home they built near New Castle, loved spending time with neighbors and friends, and were loyal fans of the Cincinnati Reds.
Jo Anne is survived by her sister, Peg King, of Mt. Vernon; daughter, Julie Anne (Jack) Miller of Wooster; grandsons, Zachary Alan (Nicholas) Miller of Dallas, TX, and Seth Wilson Miller of Wooster; nephew, Craig (Ronda) Rheinscheld, and great-nephew & -niece, Caleb & Lily Rheinscheld, all of Mt. Vernon; and a dear friend and caregiver, John Gomez of Wooster.
Funeral services will take place Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at Fischer Funeral Home in Warsaw, with Rev. David Rice officiating. Burial will follow in New Castle Cemetery. Visitation will be Monday, July 6th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home. FischerFuneralHome.com
Memorial donations may be made to Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare, 1900 Akron Rd. Wooster, OH 44691, ohioshospice.org/give; or to Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research, lustgarten.org
Funeral Home: Fischer Funeral Home
Website: fischerfuneralhome.com